Trump claims Putin is signaling readiness for peace and discloses Zelensky’s private letter after meeting in Oval Office

President Donald Trump mentioned that Vladimir Putin has indicated his willingness for a peace agreement in Ukraine. He also shared details about the message he received from Volodymyr Zelensky following their meeting in the Oval Office.

In his address to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump stated, ‘We have engaged in significant discussions with Russia and have received clear indications of their readiness for peace.’

He also said he got the same message from Zelensky in a private letter.

Regarding the message from Zelensky, Trump disclosed, ‘The letter stated that Ukraine is prepared to engage in negotiations promptly to advance the cause of lasting peace. According to him, Ukrainians are deeply desirous of peace. Both my team and I are prepared to collaborate on this endeavor,’ Trump emphasized.

Trump and Zelensky had a jaw-dropping Oval Office argument on Friday, resulting in Trump throwing the Ukrainian leader out of the White House and cutting off aid to the war torn country.

The fight also killed a deal that the U.S. and Ukraine were supposed to sign on rare earth minerals.

Trump, in his speech, demanded Ukraine ink a deal to allow U.S. companies to extract rare earth minerals from that country. He sees it as repayment for all the aid the U.S. has given them.

‘Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time that is convenient for you. I appreciate that he sent this letter, just got it a little while ago,’ Trump said of Zelensky. 

He also accused Europe of spending more money buying Russian oil than helping out the Ukraine.

‘Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far,’ he said.

European leaders, particularly British PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, took the lead on peace negotiations after Trump and Zelensky’s spectacular Oval Office blowup. 

But Trump is still pushing to both make a peace deal and to get credit for it. 

The president had a wild night in his speech before Congress.

His victory lap was thrown into utter chaos as Democrats engaged in a series of nasty attacks on the president during his speech to a joint session of Congress, resulting in one getting thrown out of the House chamber.

Trump had a long list of his accomplishments to tout about his short time in office.

But Democrats had their own message and used a series of protests to try to break through and irritate the president, who can have a short temper.

Trump, however, didn’t react to the vitriol being thrown at him and, instead, stayed on message.

‘America is back,’ Trump declared as he spoke from the speaker’s rostrum in the House chamber.

Republicans gave him a standing ovation and shouted ‘USA, USA, USA.’

Democrats sat in silence.

The president’s speech came as America stands at a crossroads: inflation and the cost of living remain high, there are fears of a trade war, and polls show Americans are worried about the direction the country is headed. Plus, the government faces a shutdown on March 14 if lawmakers cannot pass a budget.

Those adversarial feelings carried over into the House chamber. The protests began from the moment Trump walked through the doors, despite Democratic leaders pleading with their lawmakers ahead of time to behave.

But, instead, many of them worked to embarrass Trump on his big night and they did it on live television.

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico held up a sign reading ‘this is not normal’ as Trump walked past her on his way down the aisle. The sign was visible on camera behind the president until Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas yanked it away.

Within five minutes of Trump speaking, Democrats were shouting in protest. And one of them got escorted from House chamber by Capitol security.

Rep. Al Green stood in protest in the aisle and waved his cane as the president. He booed and shouted at Trump: ‘You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!’

Republicans tried to drown him by yelling ‘USA, USA, USA.’

Speaker Mike Johnson, presiding over the chamber, tried to restore order.

‘Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House, and to cease any further disruptions. That’s your warning,’ he said as Republicans cheered and Vice President JD Vance, seated beside him on the dais, stood and applauded.

But when Green refused to yield, Johnson told him: ‘Mr. Green, take your seat. Take your seat, sir. Take your seat.’

Finally Johnson gave the order: ‘The chair now directs the sergeant at arms to restore order and remove this gentleman from the chamber.’

Republicans cheered and shouted ‘get him out’ as security led Green from the chamber.

Johnson demanded decorum. ‘Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House. Mr. President, you can continue,’ he said.

Trump, who had stood silently watching what unfolded, said: ‘Thank you’ and continued his remarks.

Meanwhile, Green told reporters outside the House chamber that it was worth it.

‘I’ll accept the punishment,’ he said. ‘It’s worth it to let people know that there’s some of us who are going to stand up to against this president’s desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.’

And, when Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for the high price of eggs, Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crocket led fellow lawmakers Reps. Andrea Salinas and Maxine Dexter out of the chamber, wearing black t-shirts that read ‘resist’ on the back.

Later in the evening, Senator Bernie Sanders walked out as Trump spoke.  

Other Democrats held up signs as Trump spoke. They read ‘Musk steals’ and ‘save Medicaid.’ Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois wore a t-shirt under her blazer reading: ‘NO KING. NO COUP.’

And, in an ultimate protest and breach in decorum, House and Senate Democratic leaders didn’t leave to join the escort committee despite being called to do so. The escort committee typically escorts the president in and is a bipartisan affair.

Democrats sat it out as part of their disagreement with Trump’s policies, his move to increase executive power and his methods on cutting the government.

And many Democrats turned their back on the president when he entered the chamber. 

Trump chastised the Democrats for their actions.

‘This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud. Nothing I can do,’ he said as they sat staring at him.

‘I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded. And these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They won’t do it no matter what. Five. Five times I’ve been up here. It’s very sad. And it just shouldn’t be this way,’ he added.

Trump, however, didn’t let the Democrats derail him.

‘We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started,’ he bragged.

‘In fact, it has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency, it’s our presidency, is the most successful in the history of our nation,’ he added.

Trump gave a laundry list of his accomplishments: securing the border, stopping federal hiring, downsizing government, freezing new federal regulations, a freeze on all foreign aid, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and World Health Organization, ending DEI hiring, saying there are only two genders, banning men from women’s sports, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.

‘Our country will be woke no longer,’ Trump declared.

He declared a war on wokeness in his one hour and 40 minute speech.

He particularly slammed what he called the ‘sexual mutilation’ of the youth – referring to transgender surgery.

‘Every child in America – you are perfect exactly the way god made you. Because we’re getting wokeness out of our schools and out of our military, and it’s already out, and it’s out of our society. We don’t want it. Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone. It’s gone, and we feel so much better for it,’ he said. 

He appeared thrown for a small moment. When he was praising the work of his Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., there was some sort of shouting protest in the chamber.

‘What is going on?’ Trump asked. But he continued undeterred.

‘With the name Kennedy. You would have thought everybody over here would have been cheering,’ he said.

The president also defended and praised the actions of Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has cut federal jobs, killed federal agencies, and slashed he size and scoop of government.

Musk’s actions have been controversial as he has no official government position and only reports to Trump. Democrats, and some Republicans, have questioned if Musk can do what he has done without congressional approval. Lawsuits have been filed.

But Trump bragged about DOGE and its worked. He called out Musk by name. Musk, who was seated in first lady’s box, stood and saluted the president.

‘I have created the brand-new department of government efficiency. DOGE – perhaps you’ve heard of it, which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight. Thank you Elon. He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this. Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it. They just don’t want to admit that,’ he said.

Trump then listed off the millions of dollars of government waste he said Musk and his staff have found.

‘We found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud. And we’ve taken back the money and reduced our debt to fight inflation and other things taken back a lot of that money. We got it just in time. This is just the beginning,’ he vowed.

‘We will restore true democracy to America again. And any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately. Because we are draining the swamp. It’s very simple. And the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over,’ he noted.

He also had a lot of criticism for Biden, blaming his predecessor for the high price of food, the state of the economy, and the illegal immigrants in the country.

He also had an ask for Congress: to renew his tax cuts that were enacted in 2017 and expire this year.

‘I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts, because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office. So I’m doing a big favor by telling you that,’ he said as Republicans cheered.

Trump also honored the family of  Corey Comperatore, who was killed at the Butler, Pa., rally where Trump was shot. Helen Comperatore and her two daughters Allyson and Kaylee – his widow and children – sat in the first lady’s box. 

Trump spoke how the incident changed him. 

‘I was saved by God to make America great again,’ he said. ‘I believe that. 

Trump is pushing for more tax cuts as a way to help the economy rebound. He said his tax plan will include no taxes on tips, overtime or Social Security benefits – all issues he campaigned on.

He also vowed to wield the power of tariffs to boost American coffers although many fear he will start a trade war.

‘Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries,’ he said.

He noted on April 2 ‘reciprocal tariffs will kick in.’

‘I wanted to make it April 1st, but I didn’t want to be accused of April Fool’s Day,’ he said. ‘I’m a very superstitious person. April 2nd – reciprocal tariffs kick in and whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them. That’s reciprocal back and forth, whatever they tax us, we will tax.’

He also bragged about shutting down border crossings.

‘The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation–‘we must have legislation!’– to secure the border–but it turned out that all we really needed was a new president,’ he said.

Trump, in his own moment of theater, paused his speech to sign an Executive Order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge the ‘Jocelyn Nungaray National Refuge’ to commemorate the life of twelve-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was tragically killed on June 17, 2024. 

She was sexually assaulted and killed by two illegal immigrants. 

And, in one of the more touching moments of the night, Trump named 13-year-old D.J. Daniels an honorary member of the Secret Service.

The boy was diagnosed with brain cancer. 

‘The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, D.J. and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true, and D.J. has been sworn in as an honorary law enforcement officer,’ Trump noted. 

D.J.’s father held up the boy, dressed in a police uniform, as the crowd cheered. 

‘Tonight, D.J., we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new secret service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service,’ he said.

Curran was up in the box where D.J. was sitting and gave him a badge. D.J. gave him a huge hug.

And, in that bipartisan moment, some Democrats and Republicans came together to applaud and shout ‘D.J., D.J., D.J.’